January 29th, 2009 by admin

When I was 14 years old, I was in a band (I had a used guitar) as we all like to think we were, even if we couldn’t really play anything. We rehearsed once a week and made a lot of nolse rather than music!! But we were enthusiastic and loved the idea of being “rock stars.”

We never really thought about gigs or anything serious, we just plodded along rehearsing in my mates lounge with our 10 watt amps when his parents were at work and we were skipping school. We had no idea how bad we were and I thought I could play anything, anytime, anywhere. I was not yet aware that I had to do some sort of scale or sing in some sort of key!! I just played anything!!!

Eventually, we found our way to the year 10 leaver’s dinner/social at the local memorial hall. In those days, all entertainment was always live. DJs didn’t really exist (yes, it was that long ago!) and so bands were hired. By an act of god, we were that band.

The band that was performing was rather lame, performing songs not really suited for a bunch of hormonally challenged 14 – 15 year old youths. In fact, they reminded me of the scene in the “American pie” movie where the band is doing an awful version of ‘don’t you forget about me’ and all the kids are bored.

A few of friends at school knew my friends and I had ‘a bit of a band going” and suggested we get up and play. All of a sudden our self assurance disappeared and we got all shy. We said we weren't ready. We aren't serious musicians. Fright entered all of us and none of us wanted to go. 

However, next thing we know, the “tough boys” who played football and were athletic heroes came over and told us we should play. We didn’t want too but they insisted. We pushed back. They told us to get on stage or they would punch our heads in.” It appeared we didn’t have a choice.

So with the prospect of our heads being smashed heads and loss of any degree of cool we ever thought we had, we trundled toward the stage. Playing other people's instruments is like wearing someone else's clothes!!! But we got up there any way, ready to be booed off the stage and into the dark recesses of the hall. We played and the place went wild and with everybody dancing and yelling and smiling. We kept playing because it turned out it wasn't so bad afterall. No one, especially us, seemed to really mind at all. Everybody loved it. We kept going and going. The tough boys applauded and the girls smiled. My guitar solos still not in any scale or key but hey, there we were a real band on a real stage!! We were suddenly too cool for school and the “it” thing at school.

What we thought was hell turned out to be heaven and we ended up getting a gig with the other band. It was the start of a long musical career that still continues to this day.